Locking device for folding doors



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A. H. DODGE LOCKING DEVICE FOR FOLDING DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29 1924 ATTORNEYS Filed Aug. 29 1924 A. H. DODGE LOCKING DEVICE FOR FOLDING DooRs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J8 INVENTOR /lf//M /7 .00.065

ATTORNEYS` Patented Jan. 2i), 1925.

.unirse STATES ARTHUR H. DODGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

PATENr orifice.

ASSIGNOR 'IO THE J. G'. WILSON'CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA. f

LOOKING DEVICE FOR FOLDING DOORS.

ApplicationA inea august 29, 1924. serial No. 734,973.

To all whom t may concern.'

Aa clear, full, andexact description.

This invention relatesto locking means for doors and more particularly to locking means for locking one or more of the sections of a folding door or partition against movement.

ln operating folding doors of the type in which the doors have their opposite edges guided in upper and lower tracks and the doors when folded project laterally from the tracks upon one side thereof, it often happens that a careless person or one who is unfamiliar with the proper operation of such doors willgrasp the doors at points adjacent the edges at which they are hinged together, and attempt to close the doors by moving them transversely, instead of grasping the inner edge of the inward section of each pair and sliding' the doors along the tracks in succession to properly close the same. Because of the high leverage provided when an attempt is made to move the doors transversely from folded position by grasping them adjacent their hinged edges, it is comparatively easy for the track connections of the sections to be broken and the door thus rendered inoperative. To avoid this diliculty li have devised a locking mechanism for locking a section of each pair against transverse movement when the sections arc in completely folded position. n my application, Seria-l No. 705,468, filed April 10, 1924, I have illustrated and described one form of locking mechanism whereby this danger of breakage through an incorrect movement of thedoor may be overcome.

In its preferred form this mechanism comprises means for thrusting a locking element carried on one of the sections into lockin engagement with a stationary member, suc as the floor over which the door moves.

The cost of providing such locking means in folding partitions is, however, considerable, inasmuch as the distance between the sections of the door and the floor, or other stationary member to be engaged by the locking element varies considerably in different installations Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. DODGE, a`

-of the door, and neces- \s1tates variations in the dimensions of certain parts of t-he locking mechanism which precludes quantity production and the great savings in cost incident thereto. Furthermore, although such locking means may operate perfectly when the doors are installed, the operation thereof may be ren'- dered faulty or ineffective as time passes because of changes in the distance between the Hoor and the door due to the sagging or warping of either of these members or to wear on the floor or a shrinking of the door.

One object ofthe present invention is to provide a locking means of the class de scribed for the doors of folding partitions, which may bereadily regulated to compensate for any ordinary variations in the distance between the door and the floor, or other stationary member to which the door is to be locked.

A particular embodiment of the invention showing the preferred form thereof is illustratd in the accompanying drawings, in which A Fig. l is a front view of a folding partition in its closed or drawn-out position;

l Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the partition showing two pairs of sectionsin their folded positions and a third pair of sections in a partly folded position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of one of the inward sections of a palr showing the housing for the locking means and the members projecting therefrom;

Fig.v 5 1s a view partly in side elevation and partly in section on the line 5 5, Fig. 6, to reveal the locking mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 7 7, Fig. 3, showing the locking mechanism in its operative position;

Fi 8 is a view in elevation of the adjusta le pressure member looking from the left in Fig. 7 in the direction of its axis; and

9 is a similar view looking from the rig t.

The folding door shown in the drawings comprises a plurality of sections 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Sections 11, 13 and 15 are each respectively joined at one edge to the correspending edges of sections 12, 14 and 16 by hinges 18 which may be of any wellknown type. The innermost section 11 is equipped at its opposite edges with pins 21 and is pivotally held thereby between the threshold and the lintel of the doorway which the sectionsare adapted to close. The corresponding edges of sections 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 carry at their top attachments 24 which fit into a track 25, and at`their bottom base guides 26 which fit into a track 28 and rollers 30 which bear upon the floor. A stop 32 is provided to limit the inward rotation of section 11 so as to cause the operation of the locking mechanism when sections 11 and 12 are substantially at right angles to the tracks. The partition is closed by unfolding the pair of sections 15 and 16 and sliding them outwardly along tracks 25 and 26, by unfolding the pair of sections 13 and 14 and slidin them outwardly along the tracks, and y unfolding the pair of sections 11 and 12. A small door 35 is provided in section 15 to allow a person to pass through the partition when closed without moving the sections thereof.

In the preferred form of my invention, the means whereby the inward sections 15, 13 and 11 of the respective pairs are locked in their folded position and maintained in such position unt-il the outward .sections 16, 14 and 12 of said pairs respectively are moved outwardly along the track, is of the particular type shown in Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, as applied to the inward section 11 and the outward section 12. This means .comprises a plunger 36 which is vertically slidable through an opening 37 in a housing 38 which is set in the base of section 11. Plunger 36 carries at its base a frictional floor engaging member 40 composed of rubber or other suitable material. In the preferred form of the invention a hollow 39 is formed in the base of member 40 so that it may better grip thel floor. The movement of the plunger 36 is controlled by means of a toggle 42 which projects outwardly through a face plate 41 on the housing 38, Said toggle comprising an arm 43 which is pivotally attached to the plunger,

and an arm 44 which is pivotally held upon a shaft 47 extending horizontall across the interior of the housing. In or er that the plunger may normally be held in its upper position out of Contact with the floor over which the plunger-carrying section moves, the device is provided with s rin s 48 attached at one end to the ousmg and spiralled about shaft 47 and the free ends of which bear against a pin -49 on the toggle arm 44 so as normally to maintain this arm in its upward and outward position.

On the end of arm 44 at the vertex of the toggle there is formed a head 51 having a bearing surface 52. The head 51 projects outwardly from the section 11 so as to extend toward section 12 when the sections are folded. Section 12 carries a projecting pressure member 54 which is ada ted to cooperate with toggle 42 to thrust t ie plunger 36 downwardly. Member 54 comprises a head 55, having a bearing surface 56 which is adapted to contact with the bearing surface 52 on the toggle, and a threaded shank 58 which is adapted to be screwed into a threaded bore 60 in a holding member 61 fastened to section 1.2 by means of screws 62. The position of head 55 and bearing surface 56 may thus be readily adjusted by screwing the pressure member 54 into and out of the threaded bore 60. The extent of movement of toggle 42 may thus be regulated so that the plunger 36 will be pressed downwardly just the proper distance to thrust melnber 40 into locking engagement with the Hoor. In order that the toggle may provide a large `leverage without projecting a great distance beyond the face of section 11, the housing is set back into a recess in section 11 in the manner shown. In order that the sections may be folded into positions relatively close to each other when the iioor is close to the base of the sections, a recess 64 is provided in an enlargement formed on the holding member 61, which enlargement is set into the section 12 on the side thereof adjacent the section 11. This recess is arranged to receive head 55 of the pressure member 54 to enable the pressure member to be screwed as far as may be necessary into section-12.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated, I provide means for locking pressure member 54 in its adjusted position which comprises a locking screw 66 which is adapted to be screwed into a threaded bore l formed in the shank 58 of the pressure member. The threading is omitted from the bore 65 near the end of the shank 58, and the end of the shank itself is slit axially, as at 67, so as to provide lugs 68 which may be spread so as to lock the shank 58 in the bore 60. The lugs 68, as shown, are formed so that their inner surfaces slope inwardly from the inner toward the outer end of the shank 58. The end 70 of the screw 66 is not threaded, but is rounded so that it can readily be pressed against the sloped or tapered inner surfaces of the lugs 68 to thrust the lugs outwardly into locking engagement with the threaded bore 60 to lock the member 54 in its adjusted position.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, inward sections 13 and 15' and outward sections 14 and 16 are equipped with locking mechanism which is exactly similar to that carried by inward section 11 and outward section 12, respectively.

It is believed that the locking operation of'the door sections will be readily understood from the foregoing description. As sections 11 and 12 are pushed toward their completely folded position, the section 11 engages the stop 32, thereby stopping said section in a position substantially at right angles to the track and insuring a reliable operation of the locking mechanism. As the folding movement of the sections is continued, the pressure applied to surface 52 by pressure member 54 will tend to straighten out the toggle and to press the plunger 36 donwwardly so as to move the Hoor-engaging melnber 40 toward the iioor. If pressure member i has been previously properly adjusted. the floor-engaging member will be pressed into locking engagement with the floor as the sections reach their completely folded position with the section 11 against stop as shown in F ig. 3. Section l1 will thus be locked so as to prevent a tansve'rse movement of the hinged edges of sections 11 and 12 before the outward section 12 is slid along its track to release the locking mechanism. The stop 32 is preferably located so that during the movement of the section 12 relatively to section 11 after the latter section engages the stop, the top attachment 24 and base guide 26 on the section 12 will wedge slightly against one side of the tracks thereby holding the section 12 inl position to maintain the section 11 locked. The outward movement of section 12 carries the pressure member 54 away from the face of section 11- so as to permit the springs 48 to draw the plunger upwardly and to move the member 10 out of locking engagement with the door so that the doors 11 and 12 may be freely swung to their closed position. vlin a similar manner the inward seotion 13 may be locked in its folded position adjacent section 12 and released therefrom by the movements of the outward section 14, and section 15 may similarly be locked in its folded position adjacent section 1i, and released therefrom by the movements of section 16.

Also, if after the installation, during the passage of time, the distance between the floor and the base of the inward section of any pair, such as `section 11, should increase either because of the wear on the Hoor, the sagging thereof or a warping of the section ll so that the member is no longer pressed into locking engagement with the floor when the sections of the pair are folded, the pressure member 5l may be unscrewed enough to make up thc difference in the distances, the screw 66 having been first moved to unlock member'i; and if the distance between the floor and the base of an inward section, such as 11, is decreased because of a sagging of the door or a warping of the floor, the pressure member 51 may be readily unlocked and screwed farther into the outward section of the pair so that the pair of sections may be folded completely together before the member 40 enters into locking engagement with the door.

While l have described the preferred form of my invention in connection with a l particular embodiment thereof, it should be understood that many Variations may be made in the form and embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having explained the nature and object of the -invention and having specifically described a device embodying the invention in its preferred form, what is claimed is:

1. In a folding door, a plurality of sections, pressure-operated locking means on one of said sections, and adjustable pressure means on another of said sections for operating said locking means. v

2. In a folding door. a plurality of sectlons, pressure-operated locking means on one of said sections, 'pressure means on another of said sections for'operating said locking means, means for adjusting the position of said pressure means with respect to sa-id locking means, and means for locking said pressure means in its adjusted position.

3. In a folding door comprising a plurality of sections, a plunger in the base of one of said sections, lever means to thrust the plunger downwardly, a bearing surface on said lever means, an adjustable projection on another of said sect-ions, and a bear-ing surface on said projection for engaging the bearing surface of said lever means. Y

L1. In a folding door comprising a plurality of sections, a plunger in the base of one of said sections, a toggle adapted to thrust the plunger downwardlya bearing surface on the toggle, adjustable pressure means carried on another of said sections, a bearing surface on said pressure means for engaging the bearing surface of the toggle, and means for locking said pressure means in its adjusted position.

5. In a folding door, the combination of a plurality of sections, a fixed element adjacentto which the sections are arranged to swing, locking means for locking one of said sections in folded position comprising a contact element mounted on said section and arranged to engage said fixed element, and means by which said locking mechanism may be adjusted tocompensateI for variations in the distance between the fixed element and the section upon which said contact element is mounted.

6.'In a folding door, the combination of a plurality of sections, a fixed element adjacent to which said sections are arranged to swing, locking means for locking one of said sections in folded position comprising a movable locking device mounted on said section and arranged to engage said fixed element, a pressure device mounted on an adjacent section lfor'actuating said lockingl del vice when the sections are folded together,

and means 'by which the operations of vsaid locking device may be adjusted to compens-ate for variations in the distance between the fixed element and the section upon -which the locking device is mounted.

7. In a foldingdoor, the combination of a plurality of sections, a xed'l element adtact element mounted on said section and aree jacent to which said sections are arranged to.

swing, locking means for locking one lof said sections 1n folded posltion comprising a conranged to engage said xed element, a toggle -for operating said contact element, means for actuating the tovle when the sections are folded and unfoI ed, and means by which the movement ofthe contact element may be adjusted to compensate lfor variations in the distance betw, en

latter section. v .n i

8; In afoldingv'doonjthe combination of la plurality of sections, a1 iixed element adjacent to Whichthese'ctions are arranged to jm'ove, locking meansf'orlocking one of said Sections in foldedl position comprising a plunger j vmounted on said section andarranged to engage said fixed element, a tog le for actuating the plunger, a pressure e e- .ment mounted on the adjacent section for actuating the toggle, and means by which the pressure element may be adjusted to compensate for v-ariations in the distance' between the iixedA element and the section upon- Which the plunger is mounted. 9. In a folding door, the combination of a plurality of sections, a fixed element ad-A y jacent to which the sections are arranged to move, locking means mounted on one of said sections for locking the same in folded position, a pressure element mountedon the the fixed element' and the u ihich projects toward another of said sections when they sections are folded, means for normally maintaining the latter toggle member in its normally projecting position, a bearing surface on said member, a projectingstud carried by saidA other section, a bearing surface on the outer end of said stud for engaging the bearing surface on said toggle member, and means for adjusting the stud transversely of the latter section.

11. In combination, pressured-operated locking means, a pressure surface thereon, a

pressure member havin r a cooperating pressure surface, a thread shank on said pressure member, a holding member, a threaded bore in said holding member to receive said shank, longitudinal slits in the end of said shank, la bore through said shank inwardly tapered at the slit end thereof, and a pin threaded into the latter bore for s readin said tapered endto lock said shan in sai holding member.

12. Inf a folding door, the combination of a plurality of sections, locking means on one ofsaid sections for locking said section in folded position, a holding member mounted on an adjacent section, a pressure element threaded intosaid holding member for engaging the locking mechanism to actuate the same, and means for securing said pressure element in adjusted position in said holding member.

13.' In a folding door, a Jlurality of sections, locking means carrie by one of said sections and comprising a projecting element, a housing for said locking means having 'a recess located within the face of the door into which said element projects into operating position, and means on the adjacent section for engaging said projecting element to operate said locking means.

14. In a folding door, a plurality ot' scctions, locking means carried by one of said sections, a contact element carried by an adjacent section arranged for adjustment with respect to the face of said adjacent section, and holding means for said contact element having a recess adapted to receive said contact element.

Signed at New York city, New York this th day of August 1924.

ARTHUR Il. DODGE. 

